Interview with paper maker and book artist, Geraldine Pomeroy continued.

What else do you like to do aside from working with paper?

My husband and I enjoy traveling and being outdoors in wilderness areas especially along the coast. I traveled a lot when I was younger but find all the beefed up useless security turns me off and makes me grumpy even before I have boarded the plane, so we will be exploring more of Australia I think. I enjoy gardening specially cultivating plants that I can make paper from or eat - with the odd flower here and there for colour (and for petal paper!).

Is there an active group of paper crafts people where you live? And if so are you get involved?

Unfortunately there is little going on locally. Victoria & Queensland have wonderfully active papermakers. ( I may have to move). I am a member of several International Paper Association and national papermakers groups which keep me both informed and inspired.

How did you go about learning how to do your craft?

Trial and error, reading whatever I could get my hands on, experimenting and joining other papermakers on-line.

Is there something that you do differently to other people in your craft?

Hope - Mixed Media

There are as many techniques for papermaking as there are papermakers. I suppose the volume of paper I produce by hand is high as I produce a lot of books all with handmade pages as I don't use bought paper to fill them.

Was there anything that you had a particular trouble with when you started?

Finding resources, equipment even books locally. I have purchased almost everything from overseas or interstate. Which took time finding everything and costs that bit more.

Have you got any advice for people that are considering doing this?

Just start with office paper, paper serviettes, whatever in the blender using a splatter guard for mould and experiment. Having an understanding partner helps too as it will take over your home. My husband always checks before defrosting anything to make sure it is edible and not fermented frozen pulp.

What kind of workspace do you have?

I have an indoor dry area for binding, pressing and computer work and a wet area where I make a mess with preparing pulps, retting plant material, pulling paper and working with resins.

Paper craft interview continued on next page
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